The Egg-Free Diet
The egg-free diet omits eggs and products containing eggs.
Because it is almost impossible to separate the white and yolk of the egg, a person with an egg white allergy or an egg yolk allergy, especially if it results in anaphylaxis, should avoid all egg proteins until it has been clearly demonstrated that only one part of the egg is responsible for the allergic reaction. If there is any risk of an anaphylactic reaction, all forms of egg should be carefully avoided, even if it is known that only the white or the yolk is responsible: Both can be contaminated with proteins from the other.
There is evidence that eggs from a variety of different bird species have common allergens, so a person allergic to eggs from one species should avoid eggs from all species unless it is certain that allergy to specific species does not exist.
Important Nutrients in Eggs
Eggs contribute vitamin D, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, selenium, folacin, riboflavin, biotin, and iron, and in smaller amounts, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B6, and zinc. These nutrients can easily be supplied in meat, fish and poultry products, legumes, whole grains, and vegetables, so an egg-free diet should not pose any risk of deficiency of any of these nutrients.
Table The egg-free diet: foods allowed and foods restricted
| Type of Food | Foods Allowed | Foods Restricted | ||
| Milk and
Milk Products |
* Milk (whole, 2%, 1%, skim)
• Cream • Sour cream • Sour cream • Yogurt • Buttermilk • Ice cream without egg • Frozen yogurt without egg • Cheese |
* Eggnog
* Any milk drinks made with egg • Desserts containing egg such as custard, cream pies, puddings, some gelatin desserts • Commercial ice creams containing egg |
||
| Breads and
Cereals |
• Bread, buns, and baked
goods made without egg • French or Italian bread • Soda crackers • Plain cooked grains • Plain oatmeal • Regular Cream of Wheat • Cream of Rice and other cooked cereals • Ready-to-eat cereals made without egg • Egg-free pasta • Egg-free baking mixes • Homemade baked goods without egg or made with egg-free substitutes |
• Commercial or homemade baked
goods made with egg such as cakes, muffins, pancakes, waffles, fritters, doughnuts; toaster pastries • Quick breads • Cakes, breads, and other baked products with egg glaze • All baking mixes containing egg • Instant oatmeal and flavored oatmeal • Instant Cream of Wheat • Commercial pasta (spaghetti, macaroni, egg noodles, etc.) • Confectioneries containing egg such as divinity, fondants, marshmallows, nougat, meringue, pavlova, mousse, souffle |
||
| Vegetables | • All pure vegetables and
their juices |
• Vegetable dishes made with egg
• Salads containing egg • Salad dressings containing egg such as traditional Caesar salad • Mayonnaise • Sandwich spreads containing egg |
||
| Fruit | • All pure fruits and fruit juices | • Any fruit dish containing egg such as meringue, mousse, souffle, fruit whips | ||
| Meat, Poultry, | • All pure fresh, frozen, or | • Meat, poultry, and fish dishes | ||
| and Fish | canned meat, poultry, and fish | made with egg as a binder or glaze, such as meat loaf and meatballs
• Sausages, loaves, croquettes made with egg • Some processed meats (check labels) • Soups such as egg drop soup • Consomme cleared with egg white |
||
| Eggs | • None | • Eggs from all bird species
including • Chicken • Duck • Ostrich • Turkey • Quail • Goose • Plover • Other • Manufactured foods with ingredients indicating the presence of egg such as: • Albumin • Globulin • Livetin • Ovalbumin • Ovomucin • Ovomucoid • Ovovitellin • Ingredients made from derivatives of eggs, for example • Lysozyme • Simplesse |
||
| Legumes | • All pure legumes such as
dried peas, beans, lentils, dais • Plain tofu • Plain peanut butter |
• Legume dishes containing egg or
derivatives of egg |
||
| Nuts and | • All plain nuts and seeds | • Glazed or coated nuts (read label) | ||
| Seeds | • Nuts or seeds in baked goods made or glazed with egg | |||
| Fats and Oils | • Butter, cream, sour cream
• Margarine • Vegetable shortening • Pure vegetable oils • Lard • Meat drippings • Gravy |
• Salad dressings that list egg in
any form as an ingredient • Caesar salad dressing • Real mayonnaise • Sauces made with egg such as hollandaise, bearnaise, Newburg |
||
| Spices and
Herbs |
• All | • None | ||
| Sweeteners | • All | • None | ||
General Guidelines for the Egg-Free Diet
♦ Avoid all obvious sources of eggs (omelette, scrambled, boiled, fried) and foods made principally with eggs (eggnog, custard, souffle, quiche, timbale, egg noodles, angel food cake).
♦ Avoid packaged foods containing eggs, even as a minor ingredient. Foods with the ingredients egg, egg powder, egg white, egg yolk, or egg protein obviously should be avoided. Become familiar with the terms on food labels indicating the presence of egg (see Table Terms on labels that indicate the presence of egg).
♦ In a restaurant, or when eating a meal with unknown ingredients, avoid foods traditionally made with eggs, including: mayonnaise; Caesar salad; some salad dressings; sauces such as hollandaise, bearnaise, Newburg, Foyot; meat, fish, or vegetables coated with a batter (such as fritters and tempura); pancakes; waffles. In Chinese restaurants, egg swirl soup, wonton soup, and any dish with noodles traditionally contain egg.
♦ Some soft drinks (root beer), wine, and beer may contain egg, which is used as a “clarifier.”
♦ Many baked goods contain egg, and egg may be present in baking powder.
♦ Some candies are made with egg, such as nougat and divinity. Check labels carefully.
♦ Ice creams usually contain eggs.
♦ Many desserts, such as cream pies, pavlova, and packaged dessert mixes containing custards, may have egg in them.
♦ Egg may be present as a garnish on some dishes and may be used as a “binding agent” in meat loaf and dumplings.
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